Losing Time Over Timeframes
7 December 2018
Sitting in the common timeframes (CTFs) discussion yesterday, ECO is disappointed by the lack of progress and backsliding of the discussion. Noting that countries have already started to discuss the timeframes for NDCs before Paris, ECO couldn’t help but wonder – are we really going to take 5 years (or even longer) to agree on 5-year common timeframes?
Hearing many countries strongly supporting the 5-year option, and a very limited number of countries going for the 10-year option, ECO can’t understand why a substantive decision can’t be adopted at this session. Can the ones that really prefer 10-years stand up and say that? By the way, EU, South Africa was wondering why you spoke extremely little. In ECO’s view, CTFs is not just a rulebook issue, but vital to the ambition of the Paris regime. The ones that support 5-year are supporters of ambition.
Finally, ECO is very concerned about the reference in the text to CTFs being applied from 2041 onward. If it remains in the text, it would be significant backsliding for both the rulebook and ambition.